Ride Specifics
Mileage: Day 1: 27 Miles | Day 2: Fun at camp, optional day ride to waterpark, 8 miles | Day 3: 27 miles
Support: Self supported – you carry all of your own tent and camping gear on your own bike. We have resources including trained guides and bikes to loan for youth with disabilities. If you are interested in this option, please contact us here.
Lodging: We will stay at Camp Blackwell campground located in West Chicago, IL (map) in tents.
Pace: 7-10mph. We won’t leave anyone behind.
Trail/Route: Paved road or trail with crushed limestone.
Age: All families are welcome.
Riders with disabilities: We have resources including trained guides and bikes to loan for youth with disabilities. If you are interested in this option, please contact us here.
Trip Description
Head west on North America’s first successful rails-to-trails conversion, the Illinois Prairie Path, to DuPage County. At twenty-seven miles from Oak Park, this is an accessible low-stress ride, suitable for beginners and experienced riders. The route is almost entirely on the off-street crushed limestone Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) and Great Western Trail with some street riding to get to the path and street crossings.
Blackwell Forest Preserve features biking and walking trails, fishing, and over 1,000 species of native plants and animals. The terrain is made up of oak savannas, prairies, grasslands, and wetlands. Day 2 has a water park option at Wheaton’s Aquatic Center (8 miles from the campground).
What’s Included
- Campsite and firewood
- Day 1 dinner, Day 2 breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day 3 breakfast and lunch
- Education about our local history and nature
- Very welcoming and supportive guides
What’s Not Included
- Food for Day 1: lunch (please bring a sacked lunch! There are limited options to buy food along our route)
- Snacks during the ride to camp
- Your family’s camping gear
- Bowls, cups, spoons, forks – bring your own to avoid waste:)
Adding a Donation to Your Ticket Price to Support Other Families
The base ticket price for this event is kept low with the majority of it going to cover the cost of the campsites, food, and supplies. The guides are all volunteers as OOFD is mainly volunteer run.
So when checking out, please consider the ticket price add-ons and pay what you can to either help grow OOFD and our programs as well as help us provide these incredibly low ticket prices to keep our rides, prices, and organization radically inclusive.
About the Guides
Our guides are part of a community of volunteers that believe in adventure and helping others find adventure right out our front door. They exude a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive spirit which are foundational values at OOFD. They have love and appreciation for their home and like sharing knowledge about that home with others, thus helping the riders to develop a stronger sense of gratitude for our local history and nature.
The guides will be set with the route and an extensive script about the area you’ll be riding through with intentionally chosen breakpoints along the way.
They are more than someone to follow on the ride. They are trained and will be there to encourage and support you as well as support with mechanicals that may arise.
Transfer/Refund/Cancellation Policy
Participant Cancellation: No Refunds. By registering, you acknowledge and agree there will not be a refund if you cancel or do not show up for the event. Tickets cannot be resold.
Transfers: You can transfer three days before the event. You can only transfer to an event in the same calendar year. Fill out this transfer form at least three days before your ride departs, and we will follow up in a week or less with instructions on how to register for your new event. Contact us if you have any issues.
Organizer Cancellation: Full Refund | Nobody wants an event to be canceled. In the rare circumstance the organizer cancels the event at their discretion, registered participants will receive a full refund. To date, this organization has canceled minimal events.
Weather and Rain: We do not cancel an event for rain, storm, or any other weather. We ride rain or shine. Chicago weather is typically passing, if the weather requires, we will pause the ride and wait in a sheltered space then continue biking. Some of the best views of the lake and greenery on the trails are after a rainstorm.
Radical Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination Agreement
This is included in your registration form. Showing up with a welcoming and inclusive spirit is crucial and expected of everyone that rides with us.
This event is part of Bikepacking Root’s Community Event Calendar, where we share bikepacking events across the US and Canada. Bikepacking Roots is not involved in the hosting of this event unless otherwise noted. Please reach out to the organizer for more information.